Patience Maybe?
by Laura909
Summary: Dumbledore and McGonagall again and always. Student Minerva needs to learn the lesson of patience, but that isn't the only lesson she will learn by the time this story is over.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, Here we go. I don't own anything Harry Potter except for some legos and a wand that I bought legally from the internet. So please feel free to leave a review if you like. I am open to suggestions, but I do have an end in mind and that is at least a few chapters away, so...Please review. Anyhow I have at least one more chapter written, but I will go over it again before I post it. I hope you all have a lovely summer and if you know of or have written some good stories, feel free to share. **

Shortly after her last class, Minerva made her way back to the transfiguration classroom.

For a few months, she had been reading about animagi, and had decided that she was ready to start the processs of becoming one. As it was quite a difficult process and not well described in any books that she had found, she needed to enlist someone who had went through the transformation already to help her if need be.

That was exactly why she found herself outside the transfiguration classroom. The door to the classroom was already open and as she stepped through the doorway she noticed that Dumbledore looked as if he was expecting her.

"Come in, come in," he said as he gestured for her to sit down. "Would you care for a lemon drop," he asked regardless of the fact that no one ever accepted his offer.

"No thank you sir," she answered as she did every other time.

"Well then, I'm glad you are here, as I have sensed that there was something you wished to discuss with me for weeks now."

How did he know, she puzzled and was about to ask when he answered her unasked question.

"I assure you I have used no magic trick to read your mind. I am merely very proficient at reading people."

"I see," she said as she contemplated the implications, and made a mental note not to be to openly emotional.

After a bit, Dumbledore added, "You wanted to ask me something." Smiling as she was startled out of her thoughts, while wondering what was so intriguing as to distract her from her goal.

"I-I'm sorry," she said embarrassed at her distraction. Then continuing with her plan, she started right in, "I have been researching a transfiguration project and would like to continue with it beyond the theoretical to the practical application.' She recited as she had practiced.

Looking slightly amused at her wordplay and initial avoidance of the actual topic, he asked, "And what exactly is this transfiguration project that you are so enthusiastic about?"

"Professor," she began, "I would like become an animagus. I know that it is an arduous undertaking, but I think I am capable of pursuing it through to the end."

He could hear the pleading in her voice and knew she was serious about it, but as she was only in her fifth year, he could now allow it.

"Miss McGonagall, what you are asking for is a guide through the process, am I correct?"

"Yes sir," she replied feeling hopeful.

"In that case I must inform you that I am not willing to help you become an animagus at this time. You are still very young and while I am sure that you have read everything on the subject, I do not think that you are ready for this task."

"I…I don't understand. I have read every book and have practiced some meditation techniques already. What do I lack?" she asked looking very disappointed.

Seeing her disappointment, he answered, "For one, you are still growing, and it is not advisable to begin the transformation so young, even if it is possible. In addition I think that you have neither the patience nor the persistence that this task would require."

She opened her mouth to reply, but he continued to explain his reasoning, "As your teacher, I am well aware of your abilities and I know that you are able to perform any spell or charm with only one or two tries. As of yet you have not had to exercise patience with any task and I think this will be the test. If you are patient and still wish to do so, when you begin your seventh year, I will assist you in becoming an animagus."

Sitting there she thought about what he had said. Although she wanted to deny this and plead for a more immediate solution, she knew that definitely would not help her case, so she decided that although it wasn't the answer she wanted, it wasn't a complete refusal, just a not yet. It wouldn't be easy, but she was determined.


	2. Chapter 2

During her fifth year at Hogwarts Minerva was quite the efficient student. She preformed her Prefect duties efficiently and effectively while maintaining her position on the Quiditch team as a chaser. Not only did she have time to study for her Newts and achieve all Os, but she also managed to stop by Dumbledore's office every few weeks.

Although his answer was always the same, Dumbledore didn't mind her frequent visits and being reminded of his promise to teach her.

At first she didn't stay longer than a few minutes. She would politely refuse a lemon drop and then ask, "Professor, have you reconsidered teaching me how to become an animagus?"

As months passed her trips to Dumbledore's office had lasted longer and longer. She might ask about the current assignment or something to do with a book she was reading. Then they would discus transfiguration articles or a particular theory for hours while sipping tea or hot chocolate on occasion.

The first few weeks she held some hope that he would reconsider, but that hope slowly faded over a year's time, until on some visits she didn't even mention animagus training. She still enjoyed engaging in academic discussions with someone who had a thirst for knowledge like herself and wouldn't call hare a bookworm or worse.

While she enjoyed visiting with Professor Dumbledore, the summer vacation was fast approaching. She wasn't looking forward to months away from Hogwarts without using magic, and without a large library to entertain her. But she most especially would miss those lively discussions and debates with Professor Dumbledore. She would miss his company the most (although she didn't want to admit it). Somehow she had labeled him as a friend, her best and only friend here at Hogwarts.

She was standing on the platform looking up at the Hogwarts Express, wishing that she didn't have to leave when she heard someone say her name.

She turned around and behind her was Professor Dumbledore, "Well, Miss McGonagall, you look as if the train has caused you some great tragedy. I hope that is not the case, for I particularly like our Hogwarts Express and would hate to see anything happen to it," he finished looking rather too happy.

Minerva returned a rather forced smile saying, "I guess I just don't want to leave Hogwarts this year."

"Cheer up then," he said. "Time away from Hogwarts will make you enjoy next year all the more, or as muggles say, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder.""

She couldn't help but smile thinking of all the things she would be "fonder" of next year, as Dumbledore had very similar thoughts.

Most all of the students were already on the train. Looking back at the train, she said, "I will try to remember that."

"Have a relaxing summer," he said as he walked her to the train door.

Smiling back, she got on the train and found a seat near the window. Looking out she saw that Dumbledore was looking back towards the castle but she had forgotten something. She leaned out the window, "Professor Dumbledore," she practically yelled.

He turned back and she continued, "Have you reconsidered?" It was all she had to say and he knew what she meant. The answer was still, not yet, but he didn't need to say it anymore, so he just smiled and waved as the train pulled away from the platform.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry, Sorry, Sorry for not updating before now. This chapter was really hard to write for some reason, and I am very much not pleased with how it turned out, but I couldn't think of anything better. There isn't very much Dumbledore in this chapter, but soon he will be back. I have one more chapter ready, but I wanted to test this one out first. I would appreciate any feedback, and especially encouragement for the next chapter. I haven't quit on this story. **

September couldn't come fast enough for Minerva. She studied and read all summer, making sure that she was ready for the next school year. Finally it was time, and as Minerva got off of the train, she was filled with hopes for her sixth year at Hogwarts.

The welcoming feast was grand as usual with her housemates chatting, catching up on the events of the summer. As usual, Minerva spent the time reading her newest book. That is until two fifth year girls knocked over her goblet.

Pumpkin juice went all over the table and Minerva. Luckily she had moved her book out of the way.

The girl sitting to her left got up mumbling something about being sorry and messes. Then she started mopping up the mess with a napkin, which only made it worse.

"Rolanda, you're making it worse." The other girl said as she cleaned up the mess with a quick charm.

"Rolanda Hooch and Poppy Pomfrey?" Minerva questioned making a mental note to keep an eye on them in the future.

"We are really sorry about that," Poppy apologized poking Rolanda in the side with her elbow.

"Sorry." Rolanda added.

Then Poppy Explained, "Ro just gets a little excited about…well everything really."

"I'll keep that in mind," Minerva said dismissively before getting back to her book.

The first day of classes was well underway, and next on Minerva's schedule was Transfiguration with Professor Dumbledore.

Minerva made sure to get there early so that she might talk to the Professor before class started.

Stepping through the doorway she heard Dumbledore comment, "Early as usual. I hope the summer break wasn't too hard on you."

Smiling back, Minerva admitted, "I did enjoy the break, even if I was a little hesitant at first."

"Good, good."

Just as Minerva settled at her desk, a group of Slytherin boys walked into the room loudly whispering about something.

Glancing over at them, Minerva recognized the group of sixth years that were responsible for terrorizing any unsuspecting student that happened to get in their way.

Dolohov, Nott, and Mulciber took their seats in the back corner as usual. Minerva didn't realize that she was staring until Dolohov shot her a pointed look, clearly telling her to mind her own business.

Soon the classroom filled up with sixth years and they spent the time going over some spells from previous years.

As soon as Dumbledore dismissed them, Minerva was out the door and headed to the quidditch pitch and away from the eyes that were watching her the last hour.

This year the Gryffindor Quiddich team needed three new recruits. Tryouts were held and there were some promising applicants, but Minerva wasn't expecting Rolanda Hooch to try out for the team. While the girl was quite clumsy on the ground, it turned out that she was quite skilled on a broom.

In fact, Rolanda was so excited to be on the team, that she followed Minerva around constantly talking about quidditch. Shortly thereafter Poppy and Pomona Sprout joined their little group as well. Before she knew it, Minerva had three new friends.

Rolanda was always the troublemaker. She liked to break the rules and drag the others with her, but honestly they didn't mind, at least not until they were caught.

Poppy always tried to keep Rolanda in check. She didn't like to break the rules, but always ended up participating in Ro's silly schemes anyway.

Minerva was the brains of the group. She wasn't all that concerned with right and wrong, but she most definitely didn't want to lose her good grades and prefect position. Her job was to make sure they didn't get caught.

Pomona Sprout was the youngest of the group. While she was a Hufflepuff, Pomona had her fair share of courage and loyalty.

They were quite a brazen bunch to be sure, always in trouble but never getting caught. Their favorite activity was Slytherin baiting. Those Slytherins thought they were the only ones who could make witty and crass remarks to provoke fights.

They had a great time sparring with the Slytherins until the holiday break. Rosier, and Mulciber in particular were getting pretty hostile. Poppy, Pomona, and even Minerva agreed that they should lay off for a while and finally Rolanda relented.

Minerva was the only one staying over the holidays. With her friends gone, she planned to catch up on school work and maybe visit Professor Dumbledore. This year she almost forgot about animagus training, but not quite. It seemed she didn't have enough time to keep asking about it.

Dumbledore had made his decision very clear on the subject, and she didn't see the point in asking again every week, but on the other hand, she did miss talking to someone who seemed academically invested.

Perhaps over the holidays, Professor Dumbledore would have time for a game of chess.

**Who Wants another chapter? Also I am the only one reading these chapters before posting so I can guarantee that there will be grammar and spelling errors. If any are particularly annoying please let me know and I will make a better effort to avoid that in the future. Thank you. **


	4. Chapter 4

**I actually like this chapter for some reason. By the end you will probably have some idea as to where this story is going. It will end up MM/AD I promise. I did want to say thank you for all of the feedback, and I hope you have a nice weekend. **

Minerva decided to spend the first day of the break finishing up assignments. She spent the morning working on her Transfiguration assignment. Almost every year, the class before the holidays, Dumbledore assigns a somewhat silly and pointless essay. This year the assignment was on practical reasons to conjure a bird.

While most of the Gryffindors would enjoy the silly assignment, Minerva was in the library researching more pertinent information about bird conjuring.

"No doubt Professor Dumbledore would enjoy reading 1,000 ways to annoy people with birds, but he may also enjoy a historical account of every conjured bird in history."

Minerva turned around to see who would dare make a joke, and found Antonin Dolohov standing behind her. Standing up with her wand safely in hand she spat, "What do you want Dolohov?"

Holding his hands up, he admitted, "I didn't mean anything." Pulling out a chair across from her, he sat down and added, "I just thought since our friends aren't here that we could keep each other company and, besides, I wanted to ask you about the last arithmacy assignment."

Quickly contemplating the options, she decided that he really hadn't said anything that bad, and some company would be welcome.

Sitting back down she asked, "What bird conjuring brilliance did you write about."

"I haven't started that one yet, but one hundred ways to annoy people with birds is sounding better and better." Dolohov answered.

"Why not one thousand?"

With a smile, he said, "I am definitely not as ambitious as you."

Cautiously she went back to her essay and helped him with the arithmacy assignment. It seemed that Antonin wasn't that bad. Not like the other Slytherins, at least today.

Why it wasn't that unusual for Minerva to spend her holiday working in the library, It was unusual that she had company. Almost every day, Antonin went down to the library and sat across from Minerva at her table. They mostly worked quietly be themselves, but he did ask for her opinion a few times. They chatted about this and that, but Minerva couldn't let her guard down. He seemed to be honestly interested in completing his work, but she just couldn't shake the feeling that he had an ulterior motive in mind. For now she would be careful but honest and friendly until she had a reason not to be.

The last day before the other students came back was full of mixed emotions for Minerva. She would be happy to see her friends again, but she also counted Antonin as a friend now too, and assumed that he would return to his Slytherin friends once they were back in the castle.

Antonin Dolohov. Who would have that that a few weeks of studying together would make so much difference? Minerva hoped his despicable behavior in the past was a result of the company he kept. It was obvious that the group of Slytherin six and seventh years were really following Tom Riddle. Somehow Minerva came to hope that Antonin's actions were guided by Riddle.

Regardless, she would continue as she was and let him decide where they stood tomorrow.

Shorly after sitting down at her spot, she noticed Antonin walk in and take his usual chair. He seemed a little conflicted as she was.

If he had similar thoughts, she knew nothing of it, because the spent the majority of their time reading silently.

When Minerva closed her book and gathered her things, Antonin did the same, and after a hesitation, asked, "Can I carry your books for you?"

Antonin had escorted her back to Gryffindor tower before, but he had never asked to carry her books. She could manage perfectly on her own with the two books she carried, but she didn't want to be rude. She carefully handed over her books, managing a "thank you."

The walked to Gryffindor tower without saying much, until they reached the corridor with the Portrait of the Fat Lady.

Suddenly he reached out and grasped her elbow, asking her to stop.

Looking back at him she wondered why he was behaving oddly today. Carrying her books and acting hesitant and almost shy.

Finally he said, "I wanted to ask if you would like to get a butterbeer with me on our next Hogsmede weekend."

Without an immediate response from Minerva, he quickly added, "Its alright if you don't want to,"

Minerva was surprised to say the least. Was this supposed to be a date? She didn't have much experience dating, but did she want to date him. He seemed to be alright now, but would that change when the term began and everyone else was back at the castle.

While her first thought was to say no, she had no reason to be mean and rude. If it was supposed to be a date than she would go with it and perhaps it would be fun.

Deciding to go for it, she answered, "I would like that."

Before she knew what was happening, he had taken a step closer and leaned in to kiss her quickly before walking away down the corridor.

Stunned, she lifted her hand up to her mouth. She barely noticed that he looked back with a smug grin, just before rounding the corner.

Going back over the past minutes in her head she realized that she liked this Antonin Dolohov more than she should.

**I think the next chapter will see a lot more of Dumbledore. Thanks again. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Here is the latest installment of this crazy story. In this Chapter we investigate Dumbledore's thoughts and I am looking forward to writing the next chapter with Minerva and Albus. Thank you for reading and I would really like to hear any opinions and suggestions. **

The Hogwarts Express had just delivered the rest of the students to the castle. As all of the students found their way back into the school, Minerva searched the crowd for her friends.

She smiled as she waved her friends over to join her at the Gryffindor table. They sat down for dinner sharing stories of their holiday adventures.

At almost the same time Rolanda and Poppy noticed that Minerva was unusually quiet and more unusually happy.

"Minerva?" the two girls asked, "What's got you so excited."

"Nothing," she said. Then glancing over at the Slytherin table, she added, "Not here."

They managed to get the message to Pomona at the Hufflepuff table. They would get Minerva to share her secrets later in Gryffindor Tower.

Although the girls thought they might have to wrestle the story out of Minerva, it turned out that she was eager to tell her story.

Trying to make her friends understand, she went through the events of the past weeks. She told them about finding Dolohov in the Library and their informal study sessions as well.

Rolanda was practically speechless with shock. "How can you be friends with Dolohov, He's, he's, well he is a Slytherin for one thing."

Poppy looked like she agreed with Ro, but didn't say anything, while Pomona seemed to have an open mind.

"I really don't know what I was thinking," Minerva replied, "but he doesn't act like the other Slytherins when he is alone. I think, I hope maybe he just needs better friends."

"That's for sure," Huffed Rolanda.

"That Tom Riddle is a strange sort." Pomona contributed.

"I don't know what to think," Minerva sighed, "But I agreed to get a butterbeer with him in Hogsmede."

"You what?' Rolanda practically shouted.

"Min Its one thing if you want to be friends with him, but going on a date with a Slytherin." Poppy shook her head.

"Well I think it's great," Pomona added seeing the disappointed look on Minerva's face. "It will probably be fun, and maybe mingling with the Slytherins isn't such a bad idea. Maybe he isn't as bad as we thought."

"Thanks Pomona," Minerva cheered up a little.

As Pomona left and the Gryffindors were hidden away in their beds, Minerva went over everything again.

She told her friends about Antonin, but their reactions were somewhat disappointing. Honestly they didn't see the Antonin that she did, and probably never would. With their shocked reactions, Minerva decided not to tell her friends about the kiss. She still didn't know what to think herself. That was her first kiss and it was a Slytherin. The worst part is that he isn't just any Slytherin. Antonin Dolohov is one of Riddle's cohorts, thus making him a mystery to the rest of the castle.

Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk marking the sixth year papers he had assigned over the holidays. Granted it was a somewhat tedious task most of the time, but this paper was the usually silly assignment for over the holidays. This year his pupils' topic was practical uses for conjured birds. Most papers he got were light hearted and creative, but there are always some students who take the assignment seriously.

This time the most serious paper her received was from none other than Miss Minerva McGonagall. The paper was well written as always and informative, but he wished that she would enjoy some lighthearted frivolity as the rest of the students do.

Further contemplating the author of the paper before him he realized that this term she had not once came to his office for reasons not related to Quidditch or prefect duties.

It was good to see her make friends, but he couldn't help but wonder if she had forgotten about becoming an animagus. Of course she possessed the intellect and ingenuity required to get herself through the process, but he hoped she hadn't chosen that path. To tell the truth, he had been watching her discretely, looking for signs, like whiskers, eye shape, a tail, or other giveaways. Just to be safe, he checked the hospital wing records every once and again just to make sure her name wasn't on it. As her head of house he had a right to be concerned.

While monitoring her progress in becoming an animagus, he couldn't help but notice that Miss McGonagall had made some new friends at last. The previous years, she had mostly kept to herself, rarely socializing with other students. Then last year she spent so much time in his office, that she probably didn't have time for anything else besides Quidditch, homework, and her prefect duties.

This year was a complete turn about. She spent most of her time with her friends, even getting into trouble once or twice. But over the Holidays, he noticed that she went back to her old ways, staying alone in the library. But the strange thing was that Mr. Dolohov was studying at the same table.

While Dumbledore had a right to keep an eye on his student's activities, he couldn't justify his curiosity as to why Mr. Dolohov took a sudden interest in Miss McGogagall.

It was common knowledge now that he didn't trust Tom Riddle. He kept a close watch on him and his friends in Slytherin. As far as the other professors were concerned, they were just another group of Slytherins getting along with the rest of the students.

Although his intuition may have failed him in the past, Albus Dumbledore was certain that Tom Riddle would one day be feared by muggles and wizards alike. While Riddle's cohorts didn't give him quite the same impression, Dumbledore knew that Riddle had an unnatural ability to coerce other people into following his orders.

So the real question is, what does Antonin Dolohov want with McGonagall. Determined to find out, he decided to ask Minerva to stay after class.

**Hmmm? There is still a long way to go for these two. But next chapter should start heading in that direction. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Here is the next installment of my story. It has been a while, but I seem to have little motivation to write this at the moment. This chapter was challenging. I was excited to get to MMAD but it seems that this story has somewhat stretched out longer than I expected, but within the next two or three chapters it should be getting to the good stuff. **

**Just to be safe, I don't own Harry Potter, but I like to borrow characters sometimes. **

**enjoy**

Friday afternoon saw Minerva sighing as she sat at her desk, thinking that it had already been a long week and it was only the first week back.

"It is good to see that some things never change." Dumbledore commented as he walked through the classroom door.

"Sir, I'm not sure what you mean." She replied turning to look at the professor.

"I was just merely commenting on the fact that you are almost invariably the first student to arrive for class." He walked over to the desk and deposited the last graded assignments in a precarious, pyramid shaped pile, before continuing. "It seems that today you have even managed to get here before me."

Smiling at his words, she didn't miss the hidden meaning behind them. He was clearly referring to her social life, which had developed quite recently and changed many aspects of her life.

Quickly she decided to answer just as cryptically, "I hear that change can be a good thing."

"Indeed," he replied with that searching look that could see through to the depths of your soul.

Taken slightly aback, she realized that she missed the numerous intellectual conversations she had shared with Dumbledore and the friendship that they had. Maybe she was wrong to call him her friend, but he was truly her first friend at Hogwarts and she wasn't ready to give up that friendship.

"Sir," she asked, "would it be alright if I stop by your office after my next class?'

With a smile and a quick nod, he turned back to the desk preparing materials for the class. Thinking over their quick exchange, he couldn't help but smile at his luck. He didn't even need to make up an excuse to talk to her after class.

Minerva quickly gathered her books and notes after her Ancient Ruins class, but looking around she saw Dolohov on the other side of the classroom trying to get her attention.

Taking her time packing away her quill and ink, Minerva waited for the rest of their classmates to depart the classroom before heading for the door.

Dolohov followed her out into the corridor and asked, "Are we still on for tomorrow?"

Minerva had almost forgotten about going to Hogsmede, but confirmed their plans with a simple, "Yes."

"Good," he said sounding somewhat relieved. "I will meet you in the great hall after breakfast."

"Alright," she said a little nervous, After all it would be her first date with a boy.

Glancing down the corridor, he said, "I have to go, but I will see you tomorrow."

With that he turned and practically sprinted in the other direction. He was acting strangely paranoid around her today. Hopefully he was just nervous about openly talking to a Gryffindor, but she still had a nagging feeling that something just wasn't adding up. When did her life get so complicated?

Minerva made her way to Dumbledore's office on the first floor, and quickly knocked on the door before she could change her mind. She was still thinking about that strange encounter earlier.

Albus Dumbledore opened his office door wide expecting to see Miss McGonagall, but was a little off-balanced by her confused and thoughtful look.

Taking a step back into his office, he gestured for her to come in.

Trying to shake her foreboding feelings about Dolohov, she tried a smile as she entered the office. It really was nice to be back in this familiar setting, but where to begin.

As they both settled in their respective chairs, Minerva decided to begin with the same Question she had asked many times over the last year, "I wanted to ask again, if you had reconsidered my request for animagus training, as it has been over a year now."

Honestly he was relieved to see that the Minerva McGonagall that he had come to know over the past years was still there. With a smile he gave her an answer, 'After much deliberation I stand by my prior decision. Although, even if had agreed, I fear that neither you nor I have sufficient time for it right now."

Nodding in agreement, she was almost relieved. She really didn't have the time or focus this year. It seemed that suddenly she had so many commitments. Between her friends, Quidditch, Prefect duties, NEWT classes, and now her relationship with Dolohov, she barely had time to keep up with everything. She could find a way to fit it in, but that wasn't necessary.

"Would you care for some tea?" Dumbledore asked, already preparing two cups.

"Thank you," she said sipping her tea, before launching into a discussion of the recent article about a wizard in France who had just been missing for two years. It turned out that he was working on a new spell for human transfiguration and it had backfired, leaving him trapped as a roll of parchment until someone discovered him missing.

Their discussion suddenly turned from purely academic to personal when Dumbledore added, "It seems a high risk to practice transfiguration spells on oneself without another person involved. While most common human Transfiguration focuses on cosmetic enhancements, or animagus transformation, human transfiguration should always be supervised in the experimental stage. There are too many opportunities for something to go wrong"

While the words themselves seemed a natural part of the discussion, Minerva had a lot of practice reading between the lines. She was well aware that he very rarely ever said anything outright. Even though she missed out on most of the subtext, this message was glaringly obvious.

"I hope you don't think I would pursue animagus training on my own." Minerva huffed insulted that he would think her so ill prepared. "I know the dangers and I know the rewards, and I am smart enough to realize that there is a rather large chance of injury."

"I didn't mean any insult," he explained, "but I had to make sure you knew the risks involved. You are talented enough to get through the process on your own, but I hoped that you would honor our agreement and wait until next term so I can see that you succeed without serious injury."

"I know," she accepted. "I have been a little on edge lately. It seems like everything is changing, and sometimes I miss the simple times, before everything got complicated."

Always one to avoid direct conversations, he replied with a rather mischievous look "It just so happens that I heard a most inspiring phrase today. It seems that change can be a good thing. Perhaps you just have to let it."

With a renewed smile, she insisted, "The person who said that must have been very clever."

"Indeed," he admitted. Then conjuring their chess board, he continued, "Maybe this time your cleverness will allow me to win one round."

Pretending to think about it, Minerva concluded, "I guess we will find out."

She moved her pawn because white always goes first, and battle ensued.

**So this is the end of yet another chapter. I am in serious need of encouragement for this story. Please let me know if you have any suggestions or even complaints. Agian, thanks for reading. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Here we go again. This chapter may not be terribly exciting in the grand scheme of things, but I am getting pretty excited about the next chapter(s). **

**Also, I posted another story called "Girls night." If you are enjoying this story you might try that one as it is full of MMADness. **

"Minerva, are you sure that you want to leave the castle with Dolohov?" Poppy asked. "I don't trust him or any other Slytherin for that matter."

"I am sick and tired of trying to make you understand," Minerva practically shouted at her friends. They had made their opinions very clear over the past few days. "For the last time, Antonin is different. He is smart and funny and he isn't like the others." With that last argument she walked on to the great hall alone and sat with the other Gryffindor Prefects for breakfast.

While her friends seemed to have her best interests in mind, their constant Slytherin bashing turned into a personal insult. She couldn't believe that her friends were so intolerant of any wizard wearing green and silver.

Regardless of what anyone thought, she looked forward to spending time in Hogsmede.

Breakfast was over. Minerva put away the book she had been reading and slowly got up looking around for Dovohov.

She spotted him near the entrance talking to none other than Tom Riddle himself. When dolohov saw her get up he quickly ended the conversation and walked over to her.

"Shall we?" he asked guesturing towards the door.

They walked out of the castle in silence. Minerva was nervous, she hadn't really ever been on a date with a boy before and in addition to that the boy walking beside her was a mystery. It still seemed strange that he would want anything to do with her and as much as she didn't want to admit it, he was still a mystery. She wanted to trust him, but she couldn't completely ignore that voice that said there was some ulterior motive behind his actions the past few weeks.

"I'm glad you came," Dolohov admitted once they were out of the castle, 'I thought you might have changed your mind."

"I wasn't sure that I should, but here I am."

They fell back into a comfortable silence as they got closer to the gates where the other students were lined up waiting for Professor Dumbledore to open the gate.

After a few minutes they opened the gates and the students with permission filtered through the gates.

As Minerva got closer to the gates, she wondered what Dumbledore would think about her leaving the castle with Dolohov. She suspected that he would have the same reaction as her other friends, but less obvious and less loud. Everybody knew that the Transfiguration Professor didn't trust Riddle and his cohorts, namely Mulciber, Nott, Rosier, and of course Dolohov.

What would he say? She should have mentioned it last night during their chess game, but she didn't quite have the words to describe their situation much less the patience to defend herself again.

Soon Enough they made it to the gate and Dumbledore stopped them, "Mr. Dolohov, I don't recall you ever visiting Hogsmede before today."

Minerva looked at Dolohov and wondered why he had suggested this outing if he had never been to hogsmede or didn't have permission to go. Glancing back at Dumbledore she couldn't see any initial reaction as he glanced at the list of students with permission.

"Your name is not on the list that I have Mr. Dolohov." Dumbledore determined sounding almost happy about it.

"Yes Sir, that is because I have not turned in my letter yet," Antonin Retorted.

"I suggest you hand it in quickly as not to waste any more of you classmates' time,"

Rummaging around in his pockets, Antonin finally pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment and handed it to the professor.

Reading over the Parchment, Dumbledore relented, "You may go this time, but I will check the authenticity of this document later. I daresay if this is a fake you will spend the rest of the year in detention unless you speak up now."

Antonin didn't answer him.

'I see," Dumbledore accepted, willing to bet that the boy was trading this one trip to hogsmede for 3 months of detentions.

"Miss McGonagall," He continued, changing the subject. "Have a nice visit to Hogsmede. Also, I thought you might like to know there is a new book shop that you may enjoy."

With a polite smile she realized that searching look was aimed at her now. While he wouldn't voice it in the present company, Minerva knew that there was a question that he wanted to ask.

Specifically not answering any questions, she quickly replied, "I'm sure I will," as they walked on down the path towards Hogsmede.

While she wouldn't admit it to her friends, Minerva was really starting to wonder if this was a mistake. That feeling was intensified as he kept looking around them as if looking for someone, but not wanting to find them.

As the walked into the village she followed Antonin to the Three Broomsticks, then turned towards the door, but he stopped her suggesting, "Maybe we could find a quieter place."

"Where is that?" she asked finally getting tired of his mysterious behavior.

"There is another inn just around the corner."

Although it was still mysterious, she still had no reason to refuse.

They walked quite a bit further than he had implied, into the more rundown part of the village.

"Here," he finally stopped and indicated a shabby establishment that looked practically empty. Dolohov opened the door for her and followed her just inside the door.

Touching her arm to get her attention, he pointed to a table in the back. "Why don't you have a seat and I will get you that Butterbeer I promised."

Carefully making her way to the back table, she made sure to magically clean off the table and chair before sitting down.

Quickly she realized that she picked the wrong seat as she heard somebody come through the door behind her.

**As always, I appreciate reviews and encourage you to tell me how annoyed you are at where this chapter ends. **


	8. Chapter 8

**First off, I am sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I have been really busy the last two weeks, but on the bright side I have the next chapter almost done. **

**Second, thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them. **

**Third, Sorry again about the Cliffhanger last chapter. **

As the group of Slytherins came over she tried to act confident and unafraid when in reality she was barely holding herself together. Her instincts were yelling at her to run. They outnumbered her five to one and now Rosier and Nott were clearly blocking the exit.

Dolohov handed her the glass in his hand with a smile. She opened her mouth to offer some excuse as to why she had to leave, but Riddle cut her off.

"Isn't this nice," their leader said, sounding very pleased. "Thank you for joining us this morning. I hope you are enjoying your drink."

Minerva wondered how the other professors and students could tolerate him. Every wo. rd he uttered was false. Somehow he sounded hollow even though his words were full of hidden meaning.

Staring at her drink, she said nothing.

"It's a shame really, I thought we could get along, but our prejudices seem to get in the way."

Angry now more than cautious, Minerva retorted, "I am the one with prejudices? That's rich."

Now glaring at him, she realized that she played right into his hand. Already berating herself for being so sensitive, she didn't expect his answer.

"No, I don't believe that you, nor I for that matter, are acting on prejudices, but that does seem to be the popular assumption."

Minerva tried not to give away her thoughts on the matter but he could clearly see the confusion in her eyes.

"Yes, I prefer to judge people on their own merits, although you may think otherwise."

Unable to think before speaking, the Gryffindor continued, "Your individual judgments all seem to have the same conclusion."

"I was under the impression that you were clever," Tom Riddle challenged. "I put it like this, If a group of people have the same characteristics, can they be judged differently? The sorting hat judged us all as first years and separated all of the students into four houses. By proclaiming you to be a Gryffindor, It said that you were the same as the rest of Gryffindor house."

Taking in his arguments, she still couldn't decide what his end goal was. What was he trying to accomplish. "Your logic would suit wands, or robes, but not people. People are very different from one another."

"Again, you miss my point. It depends on the merits you choose to take into consideration. We all judge people based on a set of criteria that we decide for ourselves. People fit in these groups just as well as wands."

"What is the point of this discussion?" Minerva asked a little offensive as she had just participated in this little debate which somehow made her look bad.

Riddle coolly asked, "Does there always have to be a reason for everything?"

"Yes," Minerva answered

After some hesitation, Tom Riddle began to explain, "I want you to judge me by my individual merits."

Minerva practically snorted trying not to laugh outright, "I can assure you that I already did, so you wasted your time with this lecture."

Standing up she tried to turn towards the door, but He reached out and grabbed her wrist. "That wasn't the only reason,"

Turning back to the table, she couldn't help but shiver at the unsettling look on his face. It was probably wise to continue talking for the time being. In no way did she have any advantage.

"Sit," He instructed as he let go of her, practically reading her thoughts.

She slowly sat back down at the table, wishing that she had taken her friends' advice.

"I need your assistance Minerva," Riddle confessed. "I am looking for some items and am having a very hard time tracking them down."

Curious, Minerva asked, "What items?"

"Special Items," He replied, "It is a very delicate subject. I cannot tell you any more until I am sure you will keep my secret."

"No," she simply said, "I won't agree to help you without knowing what I'm agreeing to."

Standing up from his chair, he towered over her, "I am not very good with rejection. I told you that it is private and I cannot have you running off to Dumbledore with my secrets."

Sliding off the other side of her chair, Minerva backed away, saying, "I have to go."

Riddle nodded at Nott and Mulciber. They quickly stopped her escape and before she knew it Riddle had disarmed her and had his wand pointed at her.

A commotion at the bar quickly drew their attention. Professor Albus Dumbledore was there suddenly with his wand directed at Riddle.

"Put down you wand Mr. Riddle," Dumbledore demanded.

Minerva was relieved to see anybody

With a glance from Tom, Dolohov, and Rosier started firing hexes and spells to distract Dumbledore. They hurled a table at him while pelting him with beer glasses and hexes

Minerva watched as Dumbledore stunned Dolohov, but it was too late.

With a snap all five of the Slytherin boys were gone, leaving Dumbledore speechless.

It was as if nothing had happened except for the scream hanging in the air.

**Sorry, really sorry, but I will have the next chapter up soon. **


	9. Chapter 9

**As I promised, here is the next chapter. This one is Dumbledore's perspective of the last chapter. I assure you that I will answer any questions raised by this chapter, as well as other chapters. I am really looking forward to the epilogue, It is going to be great. Make sure to check out the previous chapter if you haven't (posted Saturday). Thanks for reading everybody, and happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it. **

After all of the students had gone into Hogsmede or back to the castle, Albus Dumbledore took the path on to Hogsmede. It was his turn to supervise students, or at least be around somewhere in case there was an accident or worse.

This morning he had a hard time thinking of anything other than the way Dolohov had acted with McGonagall earlier.

Their interactions seemed suspicious, and he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to happen. He got the distinct impression that Miss McGonagall was a little suspicious of Dolohov as well. She looked surprised and maybe a tad suspicious when he had confronted Dolohov about his signed permission form.

While their behavior may have been suspicious, the fact that Dolohov and McGonagall were going to Hogsmede together definitely was suspicious. Perhaps that had something to do with his distrust of that particular group of Slytherins.

Quickly, he decided that he would stay close, just in case there was a real reason to be suspicious.

Finding somewhere out of sight, he cast a disillusionment charm on himself before finding them and following them through the village.

As he followed them, he noticed that Dolohov kept glancing around.

Albus wanted to barge in on their "outing" and hand out detention for Mr. Dolohov, but he lacked a valid reason to do so. Apparently instinct and suspicion are not valid reasons, at least according to his former professors, his family, and his current boss.

There was nothing left to do but wait and hope that he was wrong.

Soon they stopped in front of the Hogs Head Inn. He watched them go inside before he went around to the kitchen door, thinking that this was a very lucky turn of events.

Opening the door he was immediately met with his brother Aberforth. After seeing the confused look on his face, he announced himself, "Aberforth, I just need use of your kitchen for a few minutes. There are two young customers out there and I have a feeling something is about to happen."

Turning back to the bar, Aberforth coolly demanded, "Get out."

"This has nothing to do with me. You don't want those students to cause trouble here, do you? Just get them drinks if they want, and disappear if you want."

"I don't want anything to do with it," Aberforth relented, "just don't blow up my inn."

Picking up his tray of mugs, Aberforth walked through the kitchen door to the bar as Albus followed closely.

From his position just beside the door, Dumbledore could see that Dolohov was at the bar ordering two butterbeers. Minerva was sitting at a table in the back of the inn with her back to the door.

Quickly making a note to talk to the defense professor, he then heard the door open.

Three Hogwarts students entered, shortly followed by a forth. He knew all four of them and also knew for a fact that they did not have permission to be there.

As he watched, the four walked over to Mr. Dolohov, who had just picked up their drinks.

Tom Riddle quickly looked around him as Aberforth went back into the kitchen and cast a silent muffliato.

Unable to hear their conversation, Dumbledore waited. Soon enough the group moved to the table at the back. Riddle, Dolohov, and Rosier sat at the table with Minerva while the other two stood near the table.

Miss McGonagall and Mr. Riddle seemed to be talking about something. Tom seemed unaffected and uninterested as usual. Minerva on the other hand seemed rather stiff and uncomfortable.

Waiting he couldn't bring himself to act until there was something clearly wrong. When Minerva stood up and Tom grabbed her wrist, he began walking towards their table, but she sat back down to continue talking.

Dumbledore wanted to intervene. It was ridicules, sitting here waiting while she was clearly uncomfortable and greatly outnumbered.

While his instincts were battling his good sense, he almost didn't notice that Minerva was backing towards the door, and then Mulciber and Nott grabbed her arms to keep her from retreating.

In a flash Albus canceled the disillusionment charm and rushed closer to the group. In the process he managed to run into Aberforth who was carrying a tray of mugs.

The collision had gained the attention of the six students, and Dumbledore ordered, "Put down your wand Mr. Riddle."

Knowing that it wouldn't be that easy, his attention was suddenly directed towards Dolohov and Rosier who were shooting curses at him.

Throwing up a quick shield he blocked their curses and then the table that quickly followed. Dodging glasses and bottles, he was able to stun them without too much difficulty, but looking back at Tom an Minerva he realized that he had waited too long.

Riddle was bent over Minerva's arm muttering something as she looked at him unable to free herself. Before he had taken more than one step in their direction, Tom looked up at him with a sly smile before disappearing before his eyes.

Dumbledore stood there motionless. Looking around, they were all gone. Then he noticed the scream still ringing in his ears.

Minerva was sitting in the floor screaming and clawing at her forearm. Rushing over to her, he grabbed her hand to keep her from injuring herself further. Inspecting her arm he saw a mark that looked like a serpent that formed the word, "Traitor."

She was still fighting him but she had stopped screaming, but now she just pleadingly repeated "It burns."

Scooping her up in his arms, he quickly apparated them both back to the gates.

**Please leave me a review if you have time. Also, if there are any recurring spelling or grammar issues please feel free to point it out so I can fix it. Recurring errors really annoy me when I am reading so I understand. **


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